Microsoft has made Windows 8's final release available to MSDN and TechNet subscribers, so if you are one of those - have fun. The 90-day trial has also been released, so us mere mortals can have a go at it as well. The evaluation version is Windows 8 Enterprise, so it contains a number of features regular users normally won't see. As far as I can tell - it's a bit unclear - the trial version cannot be upgraded to a final version a few months down the line. Happy testing!

"Compared to previous releases it finally appears that Microsoft understands the concept of fit and finish"

Seriously? you have two totally different GUIs running at the same time. You jump between them depending on which app you are running. One of these GUIS is really inconvenient on a desktop PC and its best "feature" is that it shows you less information instead of more on the screen.

In addition to that, the only Windows 8 style applications we've essentially seen so far are from Microsoft. We'll have to wait and see how polished and unified the new start screen and user interface feels once the market is flooded with third party applications.

"Compared to previous releases it finally appears that Microsoft understands the concept of fit and finish"

Seriously? you have two totally different GUIs running at the same time. You jump between them depending on which app you are running. One of these GUIS is really inconvenient on a desktop PC and its best "feature" is that it shows you less information instead of more on the screen.

Sorry I should have been more accurate in what I meant by 'fit and finish' - what I meant was in regards to previous releases. Yes, it can be a bit jarring moving between the 'Metro' interface to the traditional desktop but in terms of the desktop theme it is a lot better than the gaudy Windows Vista and the marginally improved Windows 7 appearance but that doesn't take away from the fact that the icons are out of place, the inconsistent usage of different GUI elements from various generations of libraries give a rough experience when compared to using Mac OS X.

I'm back on Mac OS X again and my brief experience has re-enforced why I've a Mac user because the more I used it the more my OCD went crazy to the point that I wanted to punch a box of kittens. Maybe it was my optimism that clouded my judgement but now that I've come down from my 'two day high' having used Windows 8 (used the leaked RTM then tried the 90 day trial) and faced the problems that I initially looked over in my excitement of trying a 'new toy' out.

My theory is that all the positive reviews about Windows 8 are by Mac users. Most of the computer media people at theverge, engadget, TWIT... use Macs and they are the ones writing reviews of Windows 8. So, my theory is that since they don't see it as something they actually need to use, they are looking at it like a new interesting different gadget that they play around with and it looks cool to them. If they actually replaced their Mac with Windows 8 I believe they would have the same experience you had.

In the end we may all end up jumping ship to Mac OS or Linux (if they go ahead with Metro in future versions and Windows 7 gets too long in the tooth)